Preview: The Spectres, Corsham Community Centre, Saturday November 27 (From Wiltshire Times)

Preview: The Spectres, Corsham Community Centre, Saturday November 27

3:44pm Thursday 25th November 2010

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Sixties band The Spectres will be performing in Corsham on Saturday in what is possibly their last gig since they re-formed 15 years ago.

The five-piece started in Bath in 1961, inspired by a love of The Shadows, and after a few years touring the local area went professional and toured the country.

Rhythm guitarist and bassist Brian Neathey said: “We all used to go to the same youth club. It was open five days a week and we would go down there and play snooker and football and that sort of thing.

“Our drummer was a big fan of The Shadows so he went and bought a kit, so we all went out and bought guitars and learned how to play. It was good fun.

“We were popular at the time, supporting for the big bands. We went pro for a bit but I only had about two months of that before I decided to call it a day.”

Rhythm guitarist Brian Neathey, with Greg Burridge on lead guitar, John Derrick on bass/keyboards, Brian 'Harold' Higgs on drums and Chris Jeffreys providing vocals/rhythm guitar, are now all aged between 65 and 68, and live across west Wiltshire and Dorset. They decided to get back on the stage after they met at reunion for the Oldfield Park Baptist Youth Club in Bath, and had to teach themselves to play again.

Mr Neathey said: “This could be a our last gig as it is getting increasingly difficult for us older folks with arthritis and all that sort of thing. It is quite arduous but we enjoy it.”

Since they re-formed the group have performed for charity in memory of former lead singer Brian Mould, who died suddenly from a heart attack 15 years ago.

The Corsham gig, raising funds for the British Heart Foundation and Dorothy House hospice, runs from 7.30-11.30pm, tickets £5.